Lies and Betrayal
by Natz5
Summary: When one of their own supposedly dies, the rest of the team must figure out how. And more importantly why.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: Ok be nice! My first story.... yay! Hope you enjoy and please give feed back! :)**

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**Prologue **

They sat in shock, the news report playing in the background. The house was burning. Flames were high in the sky and as they watched, a jet of water began the fight against the fire. A bomb so sophisticated that only a few people in the world knew how to make it had been the cause of the explosion. Three witnesses in protective custody and six FBI agents had died. One a team member and a friend. The shock of his death wasn't the biggest thing though. The betrayal they all felt when they learnt what the truth was. The fact that he had been involved and responsible for both the explosion and the death of innocent people stunned them into silence. How had they not realised what was going on inside his head? It was their job. According to all the evidence their friend and colleague was responsible for a terrorism attack and now he's dead.

Special Agent Aaron Hotchner lowered his eyes from the television to the file in his hand. It was one he had looked at before, on more than one occasion. Someone he had respected and trusted. He thought he knew him! But the evidence he was presented with changed everything. Anger began to seep its way through the shock and disbelief. How could he? Good people had died. The betrayal was the hardest for Hotchner. He turned and looked at each person sitting around the table. The look of shock was starting to wear off as the emotions of the agents began to show through. Anger, betrayal, despair. He knew how they felt. Dropping the file back onto the table, Hotchner stood and walked out the door. He would do everything in his power to find out what happened. As of three hours ago, Special Agent Derek Morgan had officially been declared a terrorist. He was a murderer and had betrayed not only his country but his friends.

No one had seen it coming.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey! thanks to everyone who have reviewed! glad you like it! Now on to the next part.... **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunatly I don't own criminal minds or any of their awesome characters.... sigh... if only....**

**ENJOY!!!**

**Chapter one**

Reid sighed as he fumbled with the keys to his front door. After spending the past eighteen hours going over file after file, looking at every piece of evidence that had been gathered, Hotchner had sent him home after finding him asleep at his desk. Walking past Morgan's desk had been hard. A technical analyst had spent most of the day working on Morgan's computer. Other agents had already come and cleared out his desk, looking for more evidence to use against him. Even though he was dead, the case against him was growing stronger and stronger. Each member of the team had been interviewed. They asked question after question about Morgan and what he had been up to recently. Reid could tell from the looks on the others faces that they were beginning to have doubts about Morgan's innocence. Reid felt horrible admitting it, even to himself but he was beginning to think Morgan might be guilty too. He was surprised however at how convinced Hotchner was that Morgan was guilty. Reid knew one of the other agents killed in the blast had been a close friend of Hotchner but so had Morgan.

With a slight shake of his head, Reid inserted the key and pushed the door open. Stepping inside he dropped his bag on the floor. He pushed the door shut and went to turn his alarm off. That's when he stopped. The plastic cover to the alarm was lying on the floor, leaving the wires and electronics of the alarm exposed. A few of the wires had been pulled out and re-arranged and as Reid looked at the screen he wasn't really surprised to see 'DISARMED' flashing at him. Pulling his gun from his holster, Reid started off down the hall, checking each room as he went. As he turned a corner he saw light coming from under the living room door. Slowly and silently, Reid continued down the hall. Stopping just in front of the door, he listened carefully. When he heard a slight rustle on the other side, he let out a deep breath. Keeping his eyes on the door, Reid pulled his phone out of his pocket. Pushing speed dial two on his phone, Reid raised it to his ear.

"Hotchner"

"Hotch, it's Reid. Someone's in my house. Come now" Reid whispered before hanging up.

He thought about waiting but decided against it. This whole situation with Morgan made him feel slightly reckless. With another deep breath, Reid turned the handle slowly. Holding his gun steady, Reid pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

"FBI" he shouted.

A figure with a hood drawn slightly over his face pulled out a gun and aimed it at Reid. He was sitting on the couch and Reid realised he wouldn't be able to get a clear shot off. Instead Reid took in what he could see of the intruder. He wore a baggy hoodie, which was dark in colour. It had dirt and grass stains on it and what looked suspiciously like blood. Looking closely at the intruder's hands, Reid couldn't help but wince. What looked like cigarette burns scattered the backs of his hands. Whatever had happened to this man he had certainly put up a fight though. His knuckles were red and there were a couple of small cuts on them. Reid looked closer at the stranger's left hand. It was lying in his lap and as Reid watched the intruders whole arm shook slightly, as if in pain. But the thing that caught Reid's attention the most was the bag of what looked like frozen peas.

Curious as to why the intruder hadn't done anything, Reid turned his attention back to his face.

Reid spoke loudly. "Put the gun down".

The intruder laughed slightly and lowered the gun. Reid frowned at that. What was he up to? The laugh seemed so familiar. The man stood and Reid saw him wince and hold his ribs. Holstering his gun the intruder stepped forward slightly. When he spoke, his voice was dry and hoarse. Even so, Reid knew that voice and he doubted he would ever forget it.

"You going to shoot me, kid?"

Stunned Reid lowered his gun.

"Morgan?"

"The one and only".

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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ofcourse I couldn't kill Morgan straight away! He didn't even get to tackle anyone or call Garcia baby girl or call Reid pretty boy! **

**Thanks to everyone who has given me feed back and those who haven't you know you want to! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal minds etc. etc.**

**ENJOY!**

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Reid was speechless. Morgan was alive. Did this mean that everything else had been a lie to? Reid went over the files in his head. There was too much evidence. As Reid stood with his mouth slightly open, Morgan pushed his hood back. That brought Reid out of his stunned state. He couldn't help but gasp as he looked at the face of his… Reid didn't know what to call him anymore. Was he still his friend? He definitely wasn't his colleague. Being dead and suspected of terrorism had ended that.

Morgan's right eye was slightly swollen and a bruise was already covering it. His cheek on the same side had a small cut that was still bleeding slightly. It was set on a large lump. Reid recognised that kind of wound. Someone had pistol whipped him, hard. There was another larger cut on the left side of his forehead. A trail of blood, fresh and old, ran down his face. Along with all that there was dry blood coming from his nose and his lip was split. Reid stood in silence as he tried to take it all in.

"Reid? You alright man?"

"That explains the frozen peas" Reid mumbled.

Looking confused, Morgan glanced down at his hand and laughed.

"Yeah I hope you don't mind. I kind of needed it." He said indicating his face with his right hand.

Reid just stared at him.

"You just killed eight no nine people, I forgot about the one that took your place. With a bomb! And you're worried I might not want you borrowing my frozen peas!" Reid was shouting now and as he spoke he brought his gun back up. "You're under arrest Morgan. I'm sure there are a lot of people, Hotch in particular, who want to have a chat with you."

Morgan raised his hands slightly. Reid couldn't help but notice that his left arm shook even more and that Morgan didn't raise it as high as his right. Even through his anger, Reid felt a pang of concern for his old friend.

"Reid man, please. Just listen to me. It's not what you think. I didn't kill those people. I didn't blow that place up. I know how it looks but I swear to you, Reid I'm innocent."

Reid couldn't help but scoff. Although he wanted to believe him, Reid couldn't help but think back to all the other interviews he had conducted and watched. Around ninety-five percent of them had sworn there innocence.

"Why should I? I've seen all the evidence Morgan. I've heard the phone call; I've seen the 'secret' bank accounts. There are photos of you meeting known terrorists! I know what kind of bomb was used. Your one of the few people in the world who knows how to make it! You even made me a reconstruction when I asked. You killed those people and tried to fake your own death."

"Reid, think. If I did those things would I be here to see you? You know me Reid. And you know the profile of a bomber. Is that me?"

Reid sighed. "You could just be acting. You could be trying to trick me…"

Morgan walked around the couch but stopped when Reid aimed the gun at him again.

"Reid… is that what you think I'm doing? I need your help Reid. Please just hear me out."

Reid was looking directly at Morgan's eyes, flickering from one to the other, trying to see a lie there. Finally he lowered his gun.

"You get three minutes. Hotch is already on his way. With the way he drives and the distance from work to my house, he'll most likely be here in four minutes."

Morgan just nodded and began pacing.

"Alright I know this is going to sound completely crazy but I am telling the truth."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm being framed Reid. I don't know by who but I think… I think it's the people I work for. They stuffed up and now they need someone to blame."

Reid raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"You think the FBI or the BAU who I work for, your friends work for, are trying to frame you? Yeah, you're right. That does sound crazy"

Morgan glanced at the clock on the wall then back at Reid.

"Ok. I'm going to tell you everything and I mean everything. But you can't tell anyone else this. I'm not even supposed to talk about it with the people I work for."

He sighed again and this time Reid saw the grimace on his face as he did. His ribs he thought.

"I'm undercover Reid, so deep that only three other people know about it. I'm only in the BAU because that's where my assignment led me. I've been infiltrating home grown terrorist cells under the hoax of a rogue FBI agent. I give them bits of info, mostly false and they give me things like dates, times, places, that sort of thing. I've been doing this for a while. Made a lot of enemies doing this and not just terrorists. Some agencies are pretty pissed at me too. Not that they know who I am but still, the feelings are there."

"Anyway the witnesses in that safe house weren't mob informants like everyone thought. They were from a cell I've been working on for the past seven months. I was supposed to be trying to find out who their man on the inside was. Once I found him I was… I was supposed to take him out. I knew it was one of the agents helping protect them but I wasn't having much luck figuring out which one. I had narrowed it down to three of the agents."

"Was one of them Jackson? Hotch's friend?" Reid asked nervously.

Morgan looked at him strangely; a pained expression on his face that Reid realised had nothing to do with the pain from his injuries. "He was my friend to Reid. But no he wasn't one of them. He was cleared almost instantly. Anyway last night I was doing a walk of the perimeter when… when they got me. When I came to I was tied up in the back of a van. Someone in my agency was playing for two teams in a way. I thought they were going to kill me. But then the house exploded." Morgan snorted. "Saved my life. Ironic huh?"

"I managed to escape and now I'm on the run from pretty much everyone on the planet. Hell, even girl scouts selling cookies could give it a try."

Reid had a feeling Morgan was being deliberately vague about what happened at the house but decided now wasn't the time to question him. Hotch would be here any second and Reid still didn't know if he believed Morgan or not.

"Look Reid I know how this must sound but I am telling you the truth. I trust you and I need your help, please."

When Reid didn't answer Morgan reached into his pocket. Reid, still on edge aimed his gun at Morgan's chest. Morgan with a slightly hurt look in his eyes spoke quietly.

"Easy, Reid. I'm just getting a flash drive out." He held it out flat on his palm. "This thing has every piece of evidence I collected on this cell. I can't do much with it but I was wondering if you could go over it. Get Garcia to help you."

Morgan's face softened when he said Garcia's name.

"How's she doing?"

"She's upset obviously. She doesn't know what to believe. Just like the rest of us. But she's taking this pretty hard. I mean you were her best friend."

Morgan didn't even notice that Reid said were.

"Yeah" he said absentmindedly "her best friend. Don't tell her I'm still alive ok? Just… take care of her Reid. I've gotta go soon. And I might not see you aga- for a while. Take care, kid"

He stood up and went to hand the flash drive over but Reid didn't take it.

"I didn't say I believed you."

Morgan paused.

"Well, do you?"

Reid stared at him then gave him a short nod. He wasn't one hundred percent sure but he was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. Morgan grinned back.

"I'm still a profiler Reid."

Before Reid could answer, the sound of a car screeching to a halt outside brought Morgan to one of the front windows.

"Shit it's Hotch."

Turning back to Reid he reached out and pushed the flash drive into his hand.

"Don't trust anyone Reid, except the team. No one else, Ok?"

Reid just nodded. They heard Hotch kick the front door in and start checking each room. Morgan reached over to Reid and took his gun.

"Hey" he protested angrily.

"Sorry Reid but you never know when you might need a back up."

"Reid?" they heard Hotch shout.

He was just around the corner. Morgan shoved the gun in the back of his jeans and started to leave. Just then Hotchner burst through the front door.

"FBI! Freez-" he stopped. "Morgan?"

Morgan turned slowly, keeping his hands out to the sides. Reid noticed that he didn't raise left arm as high as his right again and as he watched he could see it trembling. Morgan's face was tight with pain. What had happened to him?

Hotchner stepped right up close to Morgan, his gun never wavering from its position. It was aimed directly between Morgan's eyes.

"You killed them all. You killed Jackson. I should shoot you."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: YAY! I'm back! I'm really getting into this story. Thanks once again to all the people who give me feed back. It's not tat hard. hint hint, nudge nudge. What's going to happen i wonder??? well you'll have to keep reading to find out :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal minds (but I wish I did. :D)**

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"Hotch please" Morgan spoke softly, his eyes never leaving Hotchner's.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hotchner shouted. Speaking in a calmer voice he directed his questions to Reid. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you? Threaten you?"

As Reid shook his head Morgan spoke up, anger evident in his voice.

"I would never hurt Reid! He's like a brother to me!"

"Yeah? What about those people you killed last night? They had families too. Agent Jackson was my friend Morgan and you murdered him."

"He was my friend to Hotch! And I didn't kill him! I didn't kill any of them."

As he spoke he lowered his left arm. Both Hotch and Reid watched with curiosity and caution as Morgan gripped his left shoulder with his right hand. After a moment he pulled it away and they were all shocked to see blood on his hand.

"Damn" Morgan mumbled.

It was at that moment that Reid reached a decision. Turning to his boss he sighed.

"Hotch, I believe him."

Both Morgan and Hotchner looked at him.

"What?" The shock and disappointment was obvious in Hotchner's voice.

"Before you arrived Morgan told me his version of what happened. And although I know he's leaving bits out" He turned and looked at Morgan who lowered his eyes. "And however unlikely it may sound, I believe him. I trust him." Reid turned to Morgan again. "And now with…"

Reid began telling Hotch about the flash drive but stopped when Morgan gave a very slight shake of his head. Reid stalled for a second before picking up where he stopped.

"…With Morgan here we have proof… kind of."

Hotchner frowned at the exchange of looks between Morgan and Reid. He noticed the cover up but right now he didn't push it. He knew though that there was something else they weren't telling him.

"Hotch please. You've known me for nine years. You know I would never use a bomb to kill someone. I don't fit the profile."

Wincing he once again grabbed his shoulder in pain.

"I'm asking for your help, both of you. I trust you."

Hotch stood and stared at Morgan for a minute before nodding and lowering his gun.

"Thank you. Ok Reid you can show him the flash drive now." To Hotch he smiled apologetically. "Just being extra safe. Call Garcia and get her over here. Just don't tell her I'm here. The phones are tapped. Reid can you explain everything to Hotch while I go clean up?"

"Wait Morgan, I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"That's ok Hotch. You might hate me again once you find out everything anyway. Hey Reid do you have a first aid kit here?"

When Reid nodded Morgan smiled.

"Thanks Reid, for everything."

Reid smiled and left to get the first aid kit. Hotch was watching Morgan closely. Morgan looked awful. He could see the bags under the eye that wasn't black and swollen. The fact his face had been used as a punching bag didn't help but Hotchner had never seen him look so tired and stressed. Not surprising really.

"Morgan. How badly are you hurt?" he asked quietly.

"I'll be fine" was the quick reply. Hotchner noticed that the younger agent didn't quite meet his eyes.

"Derek, come on. If you trust me and you want my help you need to tell me the truth. What's wrong with you?"

Morgan ran his right hand over his face, wincing slightly as he did. With a sigh he turned to look at Hotchner.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about it. It's just a few cuts and bruises."

He gave him a small smile. Hotch just kept watching him for a second.

"You know you look like crap."

Morgan laughed at that, wrapping his arm around his ribs. "Yeah I thought I might. But you know I can work it to my advantage. Ladies like looking after a wounded man."

He gave Hotch an even bigger grin as they both began to laugh. Reid entered carrying a plastic box. He looked at the two laughing.

"Did I miss something?"

"Nah don't worry about it kid. Are there tweezers in there?" Morgan said with a nod towards the first aid kit.

Both Reid and Hotchner turned and stared at him.

"Tweezers? Um I think so… Why?"

"I've got a splinter." Morgan replied with a slight grimace.

He stood and took the box from Reid.

"Thanks man."

"Oh Morgan, quick question. Couldn't you of just waited on my doorstep for me? Did you have to pick my lock and… hack my alarm?"

Hotchner looked up at Derek and raised his eyebrows.

"You hacked his alarm? I didn't know you could do that. Or pick a lock actually."

Morgan gave a small shrug.

"I learnt it back in Chicago when I was a kid. Let's just say that I didn't get busted for every crime I committed."

With that he turned and began walking down the hall towards the bathroom, leaving his two friends speechless in the living room. He stopped however and turned back to Reid.

"You wouldn't happen to have a t-shirt that would fit me would you?"

At Reid's blank look Morgan nodded.

"Yeah didn't think so. When you call Garcia ask her to bring my clothes and things from her place. Say you want to look through them or something."

Both Reid and Hotch smiled at that.

"You have clothes and 'things' at Garcia's? What kind of things?"

Morgan just grinned and winked before shutting the bathroom door.

Reid stood and walked over to his phone. While waiting for Garcia to answer, Reid couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed by everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours.

"Garcia here."

Her usual cheerful answer was gone, to be replaced by a tone that Reid had only heard a few times before. The sadness he heard in her voice made him cringe. Reid hadn't been lying when he told Morgan about how hard she had been taking it. Losing someone was hard, Reid knew that and when he heard Garcia stifle a small sob he couldn't help but feel angry towards Morgan for putting them through all this. With a sigh he answered her sad voice.

"Hey Garcia, it's Reid. Um could you come over? I need help accessing a flash drive."

"Reid, can't it wait till tomorrow?"

"It's about Morgan."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks. Oh and can you bring everything of Morgan's that's over at your house?"

Reid could almost hear Garcia blushing over the phone.

"How… How did you know?"

"See you in ten Garcia."

"O…Ok bye."

He hung up the phone and made his way back into the living room.

"So, Reid." Hotch said as he sat back down. "What's going on?"

Reid sighed before beginning to tell Hotch everything that had happened since Reid realised there was someone in his house.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yay! Next chapter! Like I said I am really liking writing this story! Oh by the way the parts in italics are like a whole flashback thing... yeah.... Enjoy!**

**Oh and don't forget to review! and the usual disclaimer stuff and all. :D**

In the bathroom, Morgan was currently splashing water over his face. He watched as the water turned an off red colour before vanishing down the drain. Once his face was clean, Morgan patted it lightly with a towel, drying it as best he could. He examined the large cut on his forehead. It was finally starting to clot and as he looked at it he could tell that it was going to need a few stitches. With a sigh he focused on his next task. It had been hard enough getting the jumper on but now he had to get his t-shirt and jumper off. Gritting his teeth, he gingerly shimmed his right arm out of the sleeves. He then quickly lifted the t-shirt and jumper over his head but stopped when he reached his left arm. Slowly and carefully he thought to himself. Morgan did just that, pulling the clothes along his arm with as much care as possible. Each small jolt was another painful reminder of tonight's failed assignment. Finally he had them off. He threw the clothes on the floor and stood in his jeans examining his wounds. Two of his ribs on his right side didn't move properly when he breathed and if the pain was anything to go by he had defiantly broken them. Not much I can do about them he thought grimly. Moving on Morgan gently touched some of the worst looking bruise. There were several deep cuts on his torso but only a couple of them were still bleeding. He sighed. They could wait. His eyes drifted to his shoulder where the bullet had hit him. He knew that it hadn't been a through and through and with a slight cringe his eyes dropped to the tweezers. He pulled a small bottle of strong alcohol out of his jeans pocket. Opening the bottle he took a small swig before setting it down onto the table next to the sink. He needed the rest of the alcohol to clean the wound area and the tweezers. He sighed at the thought. He knew that the hospitals were being watched, making it difficult for him to get the help he needed.

Before Morgan began trying to get the bullet out he took a deep breath, ignoring the pain it caused. His thoughts drifted to his team mates, each of them would be hurting right now but for different reasons. How was he going to tell the rest of the team what happened? It was hard enough seeing the look of shock and betrayal on Reid's face, but Garcia's? He was going to be in so much trouble when she saw him. With another sigh he closed his eyes before leaning forward and letting his forehead rest against the cool mirror. This was the first time Morgan had seen the extent of his injuries and right now he felt too numb to take it all in. The pain, the grief, the disbelief. As he stood there he tried to block it all out. He thought about one of the only people in the world who could make him smile, no matter what.

"Garcia" he mumbled.

His barrier against the pain was cut short as he turned slightly, letting his uninjured shoulder and the side of his head rest against the mirror. As he stood there the memory of the night before came flooding back.

_Morgan turned on his flashlight and glanced into the bush to his left, his hand on his gun. When nothing jumped out at him, he shook his head at his jumpiness. Better jumpy than dead, he reasoned. He thought back over all the information he had collected on this cell. Even as he ran through it in his head he knew something didn't add up. With a sigh he closed his eyes and leant against the fence._

"_Sleeping on the job, Morgan?" Came the teasing call._

_Instantly Morgan was up, eyes open and gun aimed towards the source of the voice. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was._

"_Jackson man, don't do that. I could have shot you."_

_Jackson raised his hands in surrender, a grin already on his face._

"_Sorry Morgan. Didn't realise how tense you are. Hotch still being a drill sergeant then? I don't know how you can work with him sometimes."_

_Morgan laughed. "Oh yes you do. It's the same reason why you've applied to be part of the BAU four times, I think it is. Hotch is a good leader and a great agent."_

_Jackson nodded his agreement. "Yeah I know what you mean. That's why I want to work with him. Why do you think he's rejected my application so many times?"_

_Morgan sighed and looked directly at Jackson. He was a good guy and a close friend of both Morgan and Hotchner. Morgan had often wondered how Jackson was friends with two almost completely different people._

"_Look Jackson, you gotta understand that it's not just Hotch calling the shots on things like this. It goes through a whole process of people in suits looking through each file, judging you without even meeting you. I don't think you would want this job so much after a few months anyway."_

"_Yeah?" Jackson challenged, "Why not?"_

"_Well for one your wife might skin you alive for being away so much. Another thing, I honestly don't think you could handle it. We see the worse of what mankind do to each other each and every day, even when were not working, the cases stay with us. I would hate to see you having to deal with that."_

_Jackson's eyes were fixed firmly on a spot a little to Morgan's right. With a slightly hard edge to his tone he turned back to Morgan._

"_You handle it. You've been handling it for almost ten years. What's so different about you and me?"_

_Morgan stepped forward._

"_Listen, Pete. I honestly don't know why I was chosen and why you weren't. It just happened. But I do know that you are happier now, with Cathy and Jacob then you ever would be working with Hotch and me at the BAU."_

_Jackson stared at him for a minute before sighing and nodding._

"_I guess your right. Again."_

_He grinned at Morgan then and Morgan was glad to hear the light tone back in Pete's voice. He knew that for as long as he had known him, Jackson had wanted to be a profiler._

"_Course I am. So how are Cathy and Jacob? Sorry I couldn't make it to his birthday."_

"_Yeah the big one. Well one of them. I still can't believe I'm a dad. Even after five years."_

_He smiled and shook his head._

"_Hey I want to tell you something. Cathy will kill us both if she finds out that I told you before she told her parents but right now I don't care"_

"_Oh thanks man. I've seen Cath when she's pissed. It is not a pretty sight."_

"_Yeah isn't she great?"_

_Morgan laughed at that. "Yeah she is. You're a lucky man."_

"_I am aren't I? Anyway, the big news. Cath's pregnant again!"_

_Morgan grinned at the man in front of him. He knew how much this meant to him. Before he could congratulate him though, there was a whizzing sound before Morgan felt a piercing pain in his left shoulder. With a cry he fell to the ground his hand gripping his shoulder hard. There was another whizzing noise and before Morgan could do anything Jackson was on the ground, a bullet hole on the left side of his chest._

"_No, no, no." Morgan muttered as he pulled himself towards Pete. He could hear him cough and Morgan was shocked at how weak and wet it sounded. Morgan knew what that meant. The bullet must have missed his heart and hit his lung instead._

"_Come on Pete look at me."_

_Morgan used his left hand to apply pressure to the wound, ignoring the shoots of pain that were spreading through his arm. With his right arm he pulled his gun out and did a slow sweep of the surrounding area, trying to spot the shooter. He swore when he didn't see anyone. Speaking into his mike attached to his vest, he reported there situation._

"_We have an officer down, I repeat officer down. Back yard, beware shooter has not been found. They're using armour piercing bullets"_

_Morgan swore again and turned back to face Jackson. When he did he let his arms go limp at his side. He was dead. Morgan stared at the now expressionless eyes that were looking straight at him. Morgan breathed deeply and moved two fingers over his friends eyes, closing them. With the edge of his shirt, Morgan wiped the trail of blood that ran from his friend's mouth._

"_Damn it Pete."_

_Angrily Morgan pushed himself onto his feet and did another sweep of the yard. His eyes kept searching, trying to find the man who shot his friend.  
"What have you got?" he said into his mike. "O'Rilley? Can you hear me? Has anyone got eyes on the shooter?"_

_When nothing but silence met his demands Morgan knew this wasn't about the 'witnesses'. It was about him. He'd been made. He was in trouble. How much trouble was the big question. He wasn't dead, so that meant they wanted something, he thought. Or they just liked toying with me. He began making his way back inside the house. He had to check on the others. He was two steps away from the door when it burst open and someone jumped out at him and brought a gun down hard over his cheek, all in one swift movement. Morgan yelled at the impact. He landed hard on the ground and he felt his gun slide out of his hands. Blinking away the dizzying spots that danced in front of his eyes, Morgan tried to stand up. Only to be met with a boot to his face. He fell backwards, spinning slightly as he did. His head connected hard with the corner of the concrete patio. It knocked him out instantly. As he lay on the ground, a man in a black suit stepped outside. He smirked at Jackson's body before bending down next to Morgan._

"_Tie him up and get him in the van. I want Agent Morgan dealt with now! After this he's not going to be able to talk to anyone."_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ok people Sorry about all the confusion but i got the chapters all mixed up and things... i think so here is the next part as it should be and because i made such a stupid mistake you get around four chapters right now! So enjoy and once again sorry about the delay and the confusion etc.**

**Please continue to review and thanks to everyone who already has! **

**Usual disclaimer.... Not mine etc, etc.**

_When Morgan woke it was in incredible pain. His head was pounding and there was a sharp pain in his shoulder. He moved slightly and hissed as a jolt of pain ran down his entire arm. With a groan he raised his head, trying hard to ignore the nausea that the movement caused. It was then he realised he was gagged. That woke him up. As he fought the nausea and became more aware of his situation he realised his hands were tied behind him, through the back of a chair. He tried to move his legs but found they were also tied to the chair. He gave them a tug in frustration. As his head continued to clear he thought back to when he had been taken. Stupid, stupid, stupid he thought. He should have called for back up. He should have called Hotch. He opened his eyes and realised that he was blindfolded as well. He cursed inside his head. After every assignment he had been on, this is the one he gets caught on. He had a life, one he wanted to keep._

_He could feel blood running down his face and onto his shirt where it mixed with the blood from his shoulder. He tried again to get his hands free but instead just felt them began to chafe. Both his wrists and his ankles had been expertly tied, allowing him no room to move. Thinking as quickly as his throbbing head would allow Morgan listened to his surroundings. He was in a vehicle of some kind but as he sat there he realised they weren't moving. The motor was running but they were stopped. Suddenly Morgan realised he wasn't alone. He could hear people talking in low voices. He strained to hear but realised they were whispering. He knew that if he stayed here they would kill him. He had to at least try to get away. Even if he did die, he wasn't going to go without a fight. The chair he thought. Morgan rocked on it gently, testing to see if it was bolted to the floor. He cursed to himself when he realised it was. These guys were smart. Just then Morgan heard another group of people walking towards the vehicle. At first Morgan thought they were civilians but as they got closer Morgan realised they were talking about him. They weren't afraid of him hearing and the more Morgan listened the more he realised they wanted him to hear them._

"_So, he's awake?"_

"_Yes sir"_

"_Good, good. Have you got the… equipment?" This voice was obviously in charge and as Morgan listened he realised he had heard it before. Where, he wasn't sure but he knew that it had something to do with his work._

"_Yes sir. Everything is ready for you to…ah interrogate him. Shall we start now?"_

"_Yes I think we will. I need that flash drive and he's the only one who knows where it is. I think Agent Morgan's contract with us is about to expire, don't you?"_

_The other men laughed. Morgan heard them walk around to the other side of the vehicle and as a door slid open, Morgan realised he was in a van. He felt it dip as the men got inside. Morgan tensed when he heard the door slam shut. A hand reached forward and roughly pulled the gag out of his mouth. Someone sat down in front of him and Morgan heard the sound of a knife being unsheathed. Oh great he thought bitterly._

"_Agent Morgan. How are you on this splendid evening?"_

_Morgan didn't say anything. Instead he leaned forward as far as he could and spat on where he was guessing the man was sitting. Instantly a fist connected with his face pushing him back into the chair. He grunted at the pain but smiled anyway. He knew he wasn't helping himself much but he wasn't in the mood to play nice._

"_That wasn't very smart Derek. I would have thought that after everything we've been through together you would play nice."_

_That was when Morgan recognised the voice. It was Marshall, one of his bosses. Morgan scoffed. Inside job, my ass he thought._

"_Why so quiet Morgan? Don't you want to talk?"_

_There was a sneer in his voice and Morgan had to fight the urge not to spit on him again._

"_Come on Marshall. You know I never liked your ugly assed face. Reminded me to much of dog shit." Morgan laughed, shaking his head at the same time. "I knew there was something about you I didn't trust. This is all because of you isn't it. Jackson, O'Rilley everyone! There dead because of you aren't they?"_

_There was silence for a moment then Marshall's voice echoed in the van._

"_Take the blindfold off."_

_It was ripped off Morgan's head and he sat there for a second, blinking at the sudden light. Marshall was right in front of him, sitting on a seat also bolted to the floor. Morgan felt a small rush of happiness at the sight of a wet stain on Marshall's suit. He had got him. Morgan took in the rest of the van. There were two other men sitting back here with him and a driver up front. All three had handguns at there hips and the two in the back were carrying machine guns. Morgan raised his eyebrows at that. They really didn't want him getting away. He turned his attention back to Marshall. He too had a handgun at his hip. Morgan glanced at his hands. He was holding a large hunting knife, one that Morgan recognised as his own. He kept it in his left boot, just in case._

"_No Morgan this isn't my fault. It's yours. You were right about O'Rilley, he is the mole. We told you to drop it but you never were that good at following orders, were you? Well that's the truth but not what's being reported. You see Morgan we have a lot of evidence against you."_

_He pulled a file out of a box at his feet. He opened it to a set of photos and held one up for Morgan to see. It was a picture of Morgan with another man known only as Saviour. He was the leader of a home grown cell Morgan had been working on last year. In the picture Morgan and Saviour were laughing and shaking hands. In Morgan's other hand he held a small plain envelope. You could see his gun in its holster. Morgan also had the knife Marshall was currently playing with hidden in his boot. Saviour also had a gun, which he held loosely in his hand._

_Morgan felt his blood run cold at the sight. He remembered that meeting. After getting the envelope, Saviour had turned on him. Two other men had appeared, one kneeing him in the stomach while the other took his gun in his holster. Luckily they hadn't found his knife. Morgan was grateful for that. It had saved his life. He had taken a few punches to his stomach before he managed to break free and ended up stabbing the two holding him and slitting Saviours throat but not before Saviour had shot him in the leg. All three had died. It had all been covered up smoothly by his bosses and Morgan was given a month before his next assignment started, the one he was currently on._

"_If that's all you've got then I'm not worried." Morgan said in a voice much calmer than how he really felt._

_Marshall laughed. "Morgan please. I've been doing this for years. I know how to frame someone. I have everything I need. Bank accounts, letters, phone calls, and more photos. Oh and finally, you killing four FBI agents and three terrorists. It'll be a tragic story. Knowing you were being investigated you shot everyone in that house, while trying to escape. Everyone except O'Rilley. He will try to talk you out of it but unfortunately he will have to shoot you."_

_Marshall smiled. "What do you think? Pretty good right?"_

_Morgan snorted in disgust._

"_You know Morgan, I've been going over it and there's only one thing that needs to be dealt with before I set my plan into motion. That damn flash drive you made. Where is it?"_

_Morgan didn't say anything. Instead he began running through his options. He could not tell them and they'd torture him then eventually kill him. Or he could tell them and they would find the drive, use it for god knows what then kill him anyway. Morgan sighed. He knew he only had one choice but he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Marshall was an expert at getting information out of people. Morgan really didn't want to be on the receiving end. Could he get away with lying? It was worth a try._

"_If I tell you will you let me go?"_

_Marshall sat watching him, twirling the knife in his hands, a constant reminder to Morgan about what would happen if he gave them the wrong answers._

"_Yes we will."_

_Morgan sighed, knowing Marshall was lying to him, he just needed to buy himself sometime till someone came to check on everything._

"_Alright." Morgan raised his head and smiled at Marshall. "I hid it at Mini-golf palace. You know, with the cute little windmill and the clown. You should go have a game sometime." _

_His grin got bigger as Marshall scowled at him. Ignoring Morgan, he turned to one of the men and nodded at him. The man pulled the cigarette he had been smoking from his mouth and walked around Morgan till he was directly behind him. He grabbed Morgan's bound hands, not quite letting the cigarette touch him. Morgan grimaced as a jolt of pain ran through his left arm. He breathed deeply, letting the pain gradually disappear. Marshall leaned forward._

"_Tell me now Morgan or you will know first hand how I get my reputation as one of the best interrogators in our little organisation."_

_Morgan stared defiantly into his eyes._

"_Piss off, Marshall."_

_With a sigh Marshall nodded at the man behind Morgan. He plunged the cigarette hard into Morgan's hand, twisting it as he did. Morgan closed his eyes in pain, biting down on his tongue to keep himself from making a sound. Morgan lowered his head onto his chest and sighed. He could do this. He had been through things like this before. He had to do this._

_Marshall sat watching Morgan carefully. He knew if he wanted to break him he would have to work hard. He would have to experiment a bit, find the thing that would break him. He was looking forward to it._

"_Again."_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Ok another chapter for you all to make up for my mistake. Hope you enjoy. And remember to review!**

Morgan sighed and pushed himself off from the mirror. He couldn't put this off anymore. As he went to pick the tweezers up he examined the back of his hands. The burns littered the back of each hand. Each one had ash clinging to the damaged skin. Morgan frowned before turning on the tap again. He filled the basin with the cold water before gently dropping his hands into the liquid. He winced at the first contact but sighed in relief when the cool water began cleaning the burns. As he looked down at his hands he counted the burns. Thirteen in all. The area around each of the burns was red and slightly inflamed looking. Morgan yawned. He had been awake for the past seventy-two hours and it was starting to catch up with him. He had been running purely on adrenaline and the will to live. But now that he was able to slow down he came crashing down like he had run into a brick wall.

After letting his hands soak for a minute Morgan turned his attention back to the tweezers and his shoulder. He picked up the bottle of vodka and splashed half of it on his shoulder. He winced at the sharp pain it brought. Next he picked up the tweezers and rinsed them in the alcohol. Once done, Morgan put the bottle down and moved as close as he could to the mirror. Using it to guide him, Morgan gritted his teeth in anticipation of the pain. Concentrating hard Morgan reached into the wound and felt around until he found it. He was going very slowly, not wanting to do too much damage. Finally Morgan managed to grab the bullet with the tweezers and trying to follow the direction the bullet had entered as much as possible, Morgan pulled it out. With a sigh he chucked the bullet in the bin. Morgan stared at himself in the mirror. He could hear the faint voices of Hotch and Reid as they talked. He knew Hotch would be pissed when he found out the truth but right now he didn't care. Morgan breathed in deeply, ignoring the pain from his ribs. He had to clean himself up before Garcia got here. He still ached when he moved too much but Morgan had learnt over his years, not just as a spy but as a kid in Chicago how to block the pain. He used those skills now as the pain in his shoulder flared. He thumped the wall with his good hand in frustration. He was sick of everything. After all this is over he thought, I'm moving. Somewhere quiet and somewhere the locals don't ask too many questions. He was tired. Tired of lying, tired of running but most of all tired of putting people he cared about in danger. It had to end and he was going to make sure it did, no matter what happened to him.

Morgan dipped his t-shirt into the basin, soaking it with water. He used it to clean the cuts on his torso wincing slightly when he touched it too roughly. He wiped up the trail of blood that ran down his chest from his shoulder. He was just about to bandage it up when he heard Hotch yell out.

"He's a spy? For what agency?"

He heard Reid's failed attempts at calming Hotch down. The furious steps coming towards the bathroom were enough to tell Morgan it wasn't working.

"Damn it."

Morgan rushed around the room; trying to clean up as much as he could before Hotch came storming in. He just had time to wonder if Hotch was going to kick the door down when the front door bell rang. Everybody in the house froze. Morgan's hand went straight to his gun and he cursed himself for not giving Reid his gun back. He drew his weapon, his mind focusing wholly on what was happening outside. While trying to block out the pain, Morgan slowly unlocked the door. He stepped quietly into the hall, trying not to knock anything over as he did. Morgan was just able to make out voices in the front hallway. Reid was obviously talking to them, as was Hotch but as Morgan listened he realised there were more than three voices at the door. A door was shut and the voices started making there way down the hall towards the lounge. Morgan stayed listening in the other hallway. Reid and Hotch didn't sound stressed, in fact they sounded rather happy. Morgan frowned at that. What was going on? Garcia was supposed to be arriving soon and by herself, not accompanied by a group of other random people. There was soon a lull in the conversation and as Morgan listened he could tell that the atmosphere had turned tense. He needed to know who they were. Just then one of them spoke.

"Reid… could I use your bathroom please. I'll be two minutes then we can start discussing the… case."

Morgan didn't hear an answer but he heard the footsteps coming towards the door. Suddenly Reid shouted out: "Yes! You may use my bathroom. It's down the hall, first door on the right."

Morgan rolled his eyes as he quickly got out of the way just before the door was pushed open. He stayed hidden but peaked out and got a look at the back of a woman's head. He immediately recognised her. But who were the other people? He thought he had a pretty good idea of who they might be but he wanted to make sure before he went and said hello. Still in his hiding position, Morgan listened as Garcia reached the bathroom. She stopped when she got to the door. Morgan could just imagine what it would look like. Blood stained clothes, blood stained towel, bandages on the floor and sink and a half empty bottle of vodka. It was a mess and he knew it would freak her out. Garcia slowly bent down and picked the jumper off the floor. As far as she could tell it was the cleanest thing in the room. She held it between two fingers and carried it down the hall. She walked into the living room, the jumper held out in front of her.

"Hey um Reid… What's this?"

There was a moment of silence and then Morgan recognised the exclamations that followed.

"Is that blood?"

"What's going on Reid? Hotch?"

"Is this about Morgan?"

"Look why don't you guys sit down. There's something you need to know."

"What are you talking about? This does have something to do with Morgan doesn't it?"

There were footsteps as Garcia entered the lounge and sat down. Morgan moved closer to the door and saw her dropping the jumper at her feet. She seemed stunned and Morgan felt his heart drop at the sadness on her face. He stepped into the room, forgetting everything, what had happened, how badly he was hurt, that people still thought he was dead and a terrorist. All he knew was that Garcia needed him and he was going to be there for her. When he stepped into the room, everyone looked up upon hearing his footsteps.

"Holy…"

"Hey baby girl"

Garcia didn't move. She sat staring at Morgan, not quite believing him to be real. Morgan began walking across to her when a hand on his chest stopped him. He looked down at it before following the arm up to the persons face. It was Rossi. He had a stunned look on his face but he still looked in control enough to know that Morgan was still considered a danger to the people around him.

"Morgan… you're a murderer."

Morgan sighed. He really didn't want to go through this again. It had been hard enough convincing Reid and Hotch was only convinced because Reid was. But the others? He didn't have the energy to even try. He turned to Hotch and Reid, a resigned look on his face.

"Little help guys?"

"Wait. You knew he was here? And you didn't tell us? What the hell is going on?" Prentiss looked pissed. But Morgan also saw the relief on her face.

Hotch stepped forward shooting Morgan a pointed look. Morgan frowned. What was he getting at? Hotch then looked down at Morgan's chest and he felt his stomach drop. He knew he had to look bad. The cuts on his chest and stomach were still bleeding and his t-shirt he had wrapped around his shoulder was soaked through.

"Hotch it's not as bad as it looks…" he began but the disappointment and anger on Hotchner's face stopped him. He turned instead to Reid who was standing stunned, staring at Morgan's shoulder.

"A few cuts and bruises?! Are you kidding me? I've seen bodies in better condition. What's wrong with your shoulder?" Hotchner exclaimed

"Hotch please. Not now. We have more important things to talk about right now."

He threw a pointed look at Rossi whose hand was still held up in a stopping motion.

"He was shot." Garcia whispered.

Everyone turned and stared at her.

"What? How do you know that?"

She raised her eyes from looking at the jumper on the floor to Morgan's face.

"There was a bloody bullet in the bin in the bathroom. And there was bloody tweezers and a half empty bottle of vodka." She held Morgan's eyes as she continued. "You took the bullet out yourself didn't you?"

Morgan didn't know what to say but his eyes stayed on hers, hoping they would say what he wanted. How sorry he was this had happened, how she didn't have to worry anymore, that everything would be ok.

"Garcia…"

"Wait. You actually did? Are you insane? What if you had hit an artery? Morgan, what's wrong with you at the moment? This whole thing doesn't make sense. You've been accused of being a terrorist for Christ's sake! You're distant, you won't talk to us. Stop trying to cut us out. Talk to us, please." Hotch said.

Morgan recognised the desperation and concern in Hotch's voice as when he had been arrested in Chicago. He knew his friends wanted to help but he couldn't take that chance. If they got hurt because of him… he didn't know what he would do. Morgan closed his eyes in pain. He didn't want to have to go through what had happened in the van, not to them. He knew they would be horrified. They would pity him. And he didn't want that.

"Derek… Talk to us please." That was Hotch again.

Morgan opened his eyes and locked his eyes with Hotch's.

"Believe me, you don't want to know."

"We do Morgan, all of us." Reid said while indicating everyone in the room. Everyone nodded and Morgan couldn't help but smile a little. He looked at each of them in turn before sighing and falling heavily into a chair by the door. As he tried to decide on how much to tell them his thoughts drifted back to inside the van.

_Morgan was breathing heavily as the man once again lit the cigarette and ground it into his skin. Marshall was grinning as he watched Morgan fight the pain. He leant forward in his seat so his face was close to Morgan's._

"_You know you can end this anytime. All you have to do is tell me where that flash drive is and the pain will be gone." He spoke in a sickly sweet voice that made Morgan shake his head in disgust._

"_Yeah, not only will the pain be gone but so will my life. A bullet between the eyes, right Marshall? Just like in Brazil that time. Well I say you can kiss my ass you sadistic bastard. I can take it."_

_Morgan couldn't help but think about the time Prentiss and Reid were stuck with that cult. Hearing Prentiss through the ear piece was hard. He had wanted to run in there and pummel that guy into the ground. Morgan turned his attention back to Marshall. He still had Morgan's knife in his hands and with every word he twirled it around._

"_Well Morgan I can see we're going to have some trouble with you."_

"_Glad I could be a nuisance." Morgan smiled sweetly at Marshall._

"_Yes I bet you are. I think we should move onto the next fun activity, don't you boys?"_

_The two men who were standing guard in the back of the van gave a short laugh. _

_Marshall brought the flat side and slid it down Morgan's chest. With a grin he turned it quickly, slicing through Morgan's t-shirt to his skin below. Morgan winced slightly when he felt the sting of the cut, but a part from that he showed no sign of it happening. But Morgan wasn't fooled. He knew that Marshall wasn't just going to cut him; he would have something to add to the wounds like salt or lemon juice to irritate them more. Morgan had heard a lot of disturbing stories about Marshall. And even though he knew some of them weren't true the ones that were didn't make him feel better. Marshall nodded to the man in the back who wasn't smoking. He turned his back on them and began rummaging around in the bag on the floor. Morgan watched as he did, trying to find something that would help him escape. Nothing caught his eyes but he felt them widen when he saw what was in the mans hands. It was a bottle of vinegar. Morgan rolled his eyes. Shit he thought. This is going to hurt. The man passed the bottle over to Marshall who slowly opened the bottle._

"_Well Morgan, I know you've had experience in torture before… remember May and June of 2003? Wasn't that a fun couple of months? I certainly remember. Your GPS chip stopped working, not being able to communicate with you. Then they figured out who you were. But you were back to work in a week? I must say I'm impressed. What did you tell your friends at the BAU? You know, why you were gone for so long, how you ended up breaking three of your fingers in your right hand? It must have been some story. What did you tell them?"_

_Morgan sat in silence, watching him._

"_Not willing to share? That's a shame. I don't suppose you told them where you got that scar on your back from either did you? You know being this dishonest and holding so many secret's back can't be good for you. Talk to me Derek, tell me where the flash drive is."_

_Morgan just sat there and glared at him. With a sigh Marshall picked up the bottle of vinegar and splashed some onto Morgan's chest. Gasping at the sudden pain it brought, Morgan tipped his head back so he was looking at the ceiling._

"_Shit…" he whispered, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall._

_Marshall brought the knife slicing down across Morgan's stomach again, this time deeper, the blood dripping down his body. Morgan gritted his teeth, riding out the pain. He could feel blood running from various wounds on his body and this time Morgan didn't make a sound. He wasn't going to give Marshall the satisfaction. He was done playing his game. _


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey loooook... another chapter... wow... Enjoy! Oh and please review!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds etc. etc.**

Garcia was stunned. In the past few days her life had been tipped upside down so many times she didn't know what to do. Morgan was supposed to be dead. But there he was, less than three feet away and she couldn't move. A rush of emotions ran through her as she just stared. He had taken her breath away a lot over the years as they had become closer but none like now. To see him there, living, breathing, it was one of the most intense moments of her life. But there was a part of her that was angry. A horrible part that she didn't want to listen to, but the more it sunk in he was alive, the stronger the feeling got.

She sat, watching as he shut his eyes. Looking at him properly, she realised how much pain he must be in. To people who didn't know him as well as she did, he might just alright. But she knew him better than he knew himself. She used to think that he couldn't hide anything from her but after this? She didn't know what to believe. It was like he had a whole other side to him.

"I can't tell you guys everything. Even if they are trying to kill me, the things I did… where classified at the highest level. Like I told Hotch and Reid only three other people knew about what I was doing. And even then they were only privy to certain missions. This… job that I do, it's something that you never get used to."

He looked up then and gave the room a stiff smile.

"Do you remember back in 2003 when I said I went skiing with that girl…Maria for a couple of months? First 'vacation' I had in years."

He shook his head slightly.

"I never actually went skiing. Ended up in the Middle East. The fact is I didn't break my fingers trying to snowboard over a jump, which I bet you guys already figured out."

He looked down at his hands and continued talking without looking up. "My point is I've been in… situations like this before. I know what to do, who to go to and how not to get killed."

"Then why did you come to see Reid? Why did you ask for Garcia's help? Admit it Derek, you want our help because we're the only people you can trust." JJ said staring at him, determination burning in her eyes.

Morgan raised his head, his mind going back to inside the van.

_He was breathing heavily, the stench of blood now mixed with the overpowering smell of vinegar, making the air difficult to stand. Marshall had abandoned the knife now, after Morgan had still refused to tell him where the flash drive was. All three of them had stepped outside for a bit. He could hear them muttering to each other. He had been trying for the past two minutes to get the knots around his wrists free but so far, wasn't having any luck. His wrists were beginning to chaff, the skin already red and irritated had finally broken and blood was starting to drip from his wrists and off his fingers. Morgan didn't stop to take notice though as the blood from his shoulder was still bleeding. Morgan was starting to feel tired and his mind would shut down for second. Every so often he had to shake his head just to stop himself from falling asleep. He was going into shock and to be honest he wasn't surprised, with all the blood he had lost, it was something he had expected to happen sooner or later. His head dropped down onto his chest and with a start he brought it back up._

"_Gotta keep awake" Morgan mumbled to himself. _

_He shook his head wincing at the pain it caused throughout his body. If he was going to do something he was going to have to do it soon. Morgan began moving the tightly bound rope around his wrists up and down the back of the metal chair. He was hoping that the rope would start to fray and be easier for him to break. Morgan knew it was a long shot but right now he just wanted out. He had being going at it for around a minute when the van door opened and Marshall stepped in. He shut the door behind him and sat in the chair opposite Derek._

"_Where are your bodyguards?" Morgan asked with a slight smile._

"_Getting more fun toys for us to play with. Don't think this is over."_

"_I would be disappointed if it was. People have a tendency to over exaggerate when it comes to your skills."_

_Marshall laughed bitterly._

"_I have something for you to think about, Special Agent Derek Morgan. We have an extensive collection of files on you, on everyone you've ever spoke to. In particular, those who you work quiet close with. Your BAU team, partners from all the different forces you've been with and your family back in Chicago. What do you think would happen if we were to pay one of them a visit?"_

_Morgan had hardly been paying attention to Marshall before but when he started talking about his friends and family, he had his full attention. He felt his blood run cold when Marshall pulled out another file from the bag on the floor. He opened it and pulled out photo after photo of the most important people in his life. His mom, his sisters, Garcia, Hotch, Reid, Prentiss, JJ, Rossi, friends from the bomb squad, from his time in Chicago, other friends that he had meet over the years. Morgan closed his eyes and dropped his head onto his chest. He couldn't believe how much this had affected him. He would never want anyone to be hurt because of him and now Marshall was threatening to go after the people he was the closest to. When he opened his eyes Marshall was holding up a photo of Garcia and him. Morgan was hugging her as she cried into his shoulder. They were standing outside, in a park near Garcia's house. It was just after Garcia had found out her grandmother had passed away. When he had seen her leave the BAU, looking upset, he had got up from his desk and followed her in an instant, not even waiting long enough to tell anyone where he was going. They had spent the day at her place, him holding her as she cried and told him all about her grandmother._

_The fact that Marshall had this photo hurt more than anything else that he had done so far._

"_Put it away" Morgan growled._

_Marshall smirked at that. "It seems I've struck a sore spot. What's the matter Morgan? Only just realising that you won't always be there to protect her? I thought that would have been obvious when you let her get shot."_

_Morgan lunged forward. He couldn't help it. He knew Marshall was doing this on purpose but the fact was, Morgan didn't care anymore. All he wanted to do was beat the crap out of Marshall for even looking at Garcia. He didn't even get close to Marshall. The ropes held him in place, making the pain in his shoulder flared again at the strain. Marshall grinned at the anger on Morgan's face._

"_Yep, this has definitely hit a nerve. What happened to schooling your emotions Morgan? I know you can do better than this!"_

_Morgan was just about to retort when they were both stunned into silence by the sound of an explosion about a block over. The next second the shock wave hit the van. The van was knocked on its side, sending Marshall flying past Morgan. Morgan himself felt the chair rip up from the floor as the van continued to roll. Morgan tried to protect himself as best he could as he was thrown around the van. Darkness took him though, when his head connected, painfully with the side of the van and all his efforts were for nothing._


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ok new chapter for you hungry fans! Theres a little bit of MG in this one so tell me what you think of it. Enjoy the story! And please review! OH! And thanks to everyone who has already!**

**Usual disclaimer etc.**

* * *

While the team listened to Morgan talking, a few hundred miles away a man sat in an office, looking at a file. It was one of the ones that had been in the van that Morgan had been in. It was slightly torn down one edge and inside was photos, the same ones that Marshall had shown Morgan. The man looked at each of them slowly, taking in the expressions of each person. He smiled when he saw the one of Garcia and Morgan. He had watched the footage from inside the van. There had been two video cameras. One focused on Morgan's face the other focused on the chair where Marshall had sat. The whole interrogation, as the man had called it had been filmed. He had watched it at least a dozen times now, focusing mainly on Morgan's reactions when the pictures were shown of his friends and family. He smiled as he picked up his phone. As he typed in a number and waited for the person on the other end to answer he spun around in his chair and looked out of his window and down onto the street below.

"I want an update from each team in five minutes. Bring it to my office when you're done. We need to talk. No, no. Nothings wrong. I just had an idea about our rogue friend. Yes, him. Who else would I be talking about? Just hurry up."

He slammed the phone down and picked up the file again. There were notes attached to each photo and as he read the ones attached to the photo of Garcia and Morgan he couldn't help but laugh. People made it so easy when they got attached to others. He knew exactly what to do to get Special Agent Morgan to give him what he wanted.

* * *

Morgan looked at the clock again. It was the third time in the past half hour he had done it and it was starting to worry and annoy Hotch. He watched as Morgan's eyes went from the clock, to the window, to the doors. He looked like a caged animal, trying to find a way out. But Hotchner knew better. He was keeping watch, so no one could sneak up on him and attack him. It was strange seeing him this tense and not fully understanding why. It reminded him of when Morgan had been arrested in Chicago. They all knew he was hiding something. The problem was he didn't know what that was, making it hard for him to help his friend. Morgan had spent the past thirty minutes briefly going over what he had been working on. Like Reid before they all got the feeling that there was something that Morgan wasn't telling them. It worried Hotchner especially. He knew that the only time Morgan didn't want to talk was when they really hurt him. He frowned as Morgan stole another look at the clock.

"I'm sorry but can we just take this back a step?" Prentiss asked "How did you even get involved with… this?"

Prentiss, like everyone else in the room had been trying hard to come to terms with what had happened over the past few days. This whole thing was like something out of a movie.

"It was a while ago, back when I was a cop in Chicago." Morgan's face went dark for a moment, his hand clenched into a fist at his side. He glanced up, realising what he was doing. He quickly schooled his expression before continuing. "Look that's not important right now. If we can prove what they've been doing to… well someone high up, then they can be shut down and it'll all be over."

He muttered the last bit, almost too quietly for the rest of them to hear it. The team stole puzzled glances at each other at his words. Now they knew something was really off.

"Can I ask something? You might have already answered this, but I want to know." Rossi stole a glance at Hotch before continuing. "Who do you actually work for? The CIA? NSA? Who?"

Morgan gave a dry laugh at that. "Yeah, I wish. No these guys are like a mixture of every agency out there. In the United States that is. There's a couple of them who go out recruiting for agents. We get trained for a year and then poof. We're off, saving the world with a lot of fire power."

There was stunned silence as everyone took in his words.

"So not entirely legal then?" Rossi asked.

"About twenty percent of what we do is legal" Morgan said, a strained smile on his face.

"Ah, ok then. You know if you are telling the truth, which I think we're pretty much all in agreement you are, you're still going to be in a lot of trouble."

"You got that right, buster" Garcia muttered.

Derek, you're still looking at least twenty years in a federal prison. I don't know if we're going to be able to help you as much as we would like."

Morgan shook his head. "I don't expect you to. I just want this to be over, for them to be stopped, for you not to be in… I just want it to be over."

"Wait, what was that?" Reid asked.

"What was what?"

Morgan had the darkest look on his face Reid had ever seen and for a moment he didn't answer. He knew though, that this was one of the main reasons his friend was in so much pain.

"That." At Morgan's silence Reid pushed forward. "You said 'for you not to be in' then you stopped. What were you going to say? Did they threaten us? Or your family?"

After a moments silence Morgan shook his head. "No, but I know what they're capable of. I'm not taking any chances. I already called everyone I could. I have some of my friends from my time in Chicago watching over my family and I'm here watching you guys. I know how they think and they'll go after the people I'm closest to."

He pulled Reid's gun from behind him and held it out to him.

"Which reminds me, here."

Reid frowned but took the gun without question.

"So you're our protection? You plan on protecting six people, five of who are armed themselves, while you're looking like you could used a good two week stay in a hospital?" Prentiss asked sceptically. "Great plan, Morgan"

He shot her a glare before sighing. "I know it's not my best idea but right now it's the only one I could think of and I sure as hell aren't going to let anyone else protect you guys."

"But what about you're family and other friends? You're not worried about them?" Hotchner pressed.

Morgan stood up and began pacing the room. "Believe me; I want to be there for all of them. But seeing as I can only be in one place at a time you're stuck with me, so get used to it."

There was a slight growl to his voice and as he glanced up at Hotch, he saw the worry and anger in his eyes. Hotchner just nodded

"Alright then"

Morgan nodded back. "Thank you."

"Look, what is it exactly that you want us to do?" JJ asked.

Morgan nodded to Reid, who pulled out the flash drive. "On that flash drive is every piece of information about every single one of my missions that I've been in involved in while working for them."

"Every single one? That's a little risky isn't it?" Garcia asked, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

Morgan shrugged. "I had to do something when I realised that there was a mole. So I made that and then hid it, well. No one but me knew where it was."

"So where did you hide it?" Reid asked his mind working quickly, trying to come up with safe places to hide something this important. Morgan looked a little embarrassed as Garcia took the drive from Reid and opened up her laptop.

"Uh well…" He gave them an embarrassed grin. "I hid it at the zoo, buried in the ground."

They looked at him in shock.

"You buried probably the most important files in the past thirty years in a zoo? With the monkeys and lions and other animals?" Prentiss looked liked she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. "Morgan, you…"

"Genius" Reid said breathlessly.

Everyone turned at that.

"Genius? Can you run that by me again?"

"Yeah, it's the last place anyone would think to look. I mean, would you ever think to look for a flash drive full of top secret government files in a zoo? Could you imagine Morgan at a zoo?"

"Hey I went with him just last month…" Garcia stopped what she was doing on her laptop and looked up at Morgan, her mouth open wide. He gave her a small smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

"You went off and hid it while I was with you? You jerk! You complete and utter jerk!"

"Look, baby girl, I know it wasn't that smart but I wasn't going to be going there again anytime soon and if I went by myself I knew they would think I was up to something, so I took you and…"

"And used me. That's what you did Derek. You used me."

"Baby girl, I'm sorry, I really am. Believe me when I say I never wanted to involve any of you. This was something I had to do though. Please goddess, please forgive me."

He walked over and knelt down in front of her, pushing her face up slightly with his hand so she was looking him in the eyes. She glared at him but he could see that she wasn't mad, just worried.

"And I'm sorry for making you scared and worried and upset and angry and any other feelings that have taken away some of the joy you bring to the world and I. Especially me though."

She gave a small sob before wrapping her arms around him. "You're still an idiot."

He laughed softly, hugging her back. "I know baby, I know."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey look... I'm back with a brand spankin new chapter for you all! I hope you enjoy it alot and please don't hate me for taking so long to update. I'm going to be updating alot quicker, I promise!**

**So anyway enjoy and please review!!!**

**Usual Disclaimer... yadda yadda yadda**

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It was taking too long. He wanted to be there now. As he looked down at the picture in his hand again he couldn't believe his luck. Everyone and everything he needed in one place. Like a supermarket he thought happily, a smirk on his lips. As his driver turned another corner his cell phone rang from inside his new suit. With a quick look at the screen as he pulled it out he answered it, his tone brisk and firm.

"Well? What have you got? Are they still all there?"

"_Yeah, all of them. The heat signatures haven't moved from the living room. Do you want us to go now or wait?"_

"Give it two more minutes. If I'm not there at that time, go ahead and start without me. But remember I want Morgan and the girl alive. You can kill the rest; just make it look like the we planned."

"_Alright, will do. Anything else you need?"_

"Yes as a matter of fact. Can you tell if the flash drive is still there? I want that too. I want to see what's on it."

"_Well we know the tech girl has her computer on but apart from that no, we can't tell. I have a team trying to hack her computer as we speak but I don't think were going to get in this way. She's good, I mean really good."_

"I get it. You're a fan. You can get her autograph when you grab her. And no mistakes this time, otherwise it's your head that's going to get close and personal with the barrel of a gun, understand?"

"_Yeah, I understand."_

"Good."

With that he hung up, not waiting for the other man to reply. He shoved his phone back into his pocket, smoothing the creases he made. It was a new suit after all. He wanted to look good for this memorable occasion.

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Something was wrong. There was no doubt in his mind now as he once again looked out the window. It was that feeling of someone watching them that had him the most anxious but also the fact that the street outside had gotten quieter as the night wore on. It did little comfort to Morgan to know that Marshall was at least dead. His hand twitched slightly towards his gun when he thought about Marshall. He knew what he did wasn't exactly right in the ways of the law but there was no way he was going to let him continue on breathing when he had the means and the desire to hurt the ones he loved. He glanced at his team again and quickly counted them all, even though with a single glance he knew they were all there. Morgan thought back to when Gideon and Elle had left the FBI. He had used every source available to him to track them and regularly checked up on them. Even now he had found them again and went to check on them himself before making his way over to Reid's. It had taken longer than he liked but he was glad he had. The relief he felt from seeing them alive and well had momentarily stopped the pain and he was able to enjoy a moment of peace. He had even taken a step towards Gideon when he saw him but stopped himself in time. He didn't want to involve anyone he didn't have to. It was his mess and he was going to clean it up. As he rolled his neck the images of him waking up assaulted his mind.

_When it would normally take him seconds to wake up it now took him minutes. Every part of his body screamed in agony as he slowly rolled himself onto his back. Big mistake he thought instantly when he felt the remains of the chair he had been tied to dig into his back. He groaned as he slowly pushed himself up. His left hand had come lose in the struggle and with the legs of the chair broken; he was able to free himself quite easily. With an extra push, he stood, hitting his head on what used to be the side of the van but was now the roof._

"_Shit" he muttered while rubbing the top of his head._

_Every cut, bruise, scrape and sprain made themselves known as Morgan tried to collect himself. It was hard. As he looked down he was surprised to see a rather large pool of blood where he had been lying. He bent down to look at it but was stopped by a moan from just outside the van. Carefully, he pulled himself out of the open door, making sure to grab the knife that lay on the floor, next to his feet. With an ungraceful tumble, Morgan landed on his hands and knees on the ground outside. Taking a moment to steady himself before he stood, Morgan took a look around. The street was a mess. Rubbish and scrapes from houses littered the road, blown away by the force of the blast. Car alarms were blaring as most of them on this street had their windows shattered and at least three had rolled from where they were parked. People were wandering the street, many on their cell phones, ringing the group of people Morgan did not want here right now. He heard a cough coming from the other side of the van. Tightening his grip on the knife, Morgan made his way slowly around the van. He knew who it was, even before he had gone two steps. As his eyes fell on the bloodied and bruised body of Marshall, anger, unlike any he had felt before, raged inside of him. He took three quick steps towards Marshall, who was on his hands and knees, spitting out what seemed like a mixture of blood and spit. Standing in front of him, Morgan grabbed the back of his head with his good hand and raised his head so Marshall was looking up at him. With a quick look around, Morgan bent down so he could whisper in Marshall's ear._

"_Stay away from my family and friends. And stay away from me. Because if you don't, I'll hunt each and ever one of you down and kill you myself, understand?"_

_Marshall laughed as he closed his eyes in pain._

"_Do what you want to me, but remember what kind of training we gave you. There are at least twenty other people involved in this, with that same training, ready to do whatever we tell them. Do you really think you can threaten us?"_

_As Morgan's anger grew, he brought his knee up sharply to Marshall's face, breaking his nose. Marshall fell backwards, crying out in pain as he did. As he turned over, holding his face, Marshall grabbed a gun that was lying next to him. With a quick turn, he sat up with the gun aimed at Morgan's head._

"_Don't move Morgan otherwise I will shoot you."_

_Morgan didn't move, his mind working in overdrive as he tried to think of a way out of this hell before the police arrived. He still had his knife in his hand, which he twirled lightly as he watched Marshall. That's when he couldn't help but grin. He wasn't afraid of Marshall. Morgan made his move at almost exactly the same time as Marshall. As Morgan threw the knife, he jumped to the side, just missing the bullet that whizzed past him. Quickly he rolled, ending in an unsteady crouched position as he automatically looked back to where the bullet had hit. His eyes widened when he saw how close it had been. If the shot had of been a second earlier Morgan would be lying on the ground, a hole in his head. He turned back to look at Marshall, realising he hadn't heard anything from him yet. His eyes widened with a mixture of shock and relief when he saw him lying on the pavement, dead._

_Morgan stayed where he was, staring at the man who had caused so much pain, to so many people. He was brought out of his trance by the sound of sirens, a lot closer than he expected._

"_Crap" he muttered as he pushed himself to his feet, grabbing the gun in Marshall's hand and the spare ammo in his pocket. With a last glance at the scene around him, Morgan took off down another street. He had a lot of work to do._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey people! sorry for the delay! My computer crashed and I had to rewrite my new chapters :( Anyway i hope you enjoy it!!!**

**Please review!**

**Usual Disclaimer: Criminal Minds doesn't belong to me... but if it did.... :D**

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Morgan sat on the floor, telling them what had happened to him over the past few days as Prentiss sat above him, bandaging up his shoulder. Apart from the shoulder wound, which was still bleeding slightly, all of Morgan's other wounds had stopped bleeding. For that he was grateful. He had a t-shirt and a jacket to chuck on afterwards from amongst the stuff Garcia had brought round. When he finished it was silent as the team processed what he had told them. Even Prentiss had stopped what she was doing to listen to him. The looks on each of their faces made Morgan glad he hadn't told them everything. If they did… Morgan just sighed. Hotchner looked up and cleared his throat. It seemed to help bring everyone else out of their thoughts as they all looked up startled.

"We need to decide what to do. This doesn't sound good and we all know that. Obviously this thing goes pretty high up and it's going to be hard to prove anything but we all know that Morgan didn't kill those people."

The others gave small nods and Prentiss finished bandaging Morgan's arm. When she finished he stood and stretched it out, wincing slightly. He gave Prentiss a small nod and a smile, grabbing his clothes as he did. It was when he was bending down to pick up his jacket that he saw something that made his heart stop. He was facing a door that lead off to Reid's kitchen and as he watched, several shadows moved past the gap at the bottom of the door. Quickly and silently he pulled his gun out of his holster. Motioning to the others to be quiet, he stood up and made his way over to the window. While keeping his eye on the door, Morgan hid behind the curtains before having a quick look out the window. Outside was a black armoured van, almost exactly like the ones S.W.A.T. use. Morgan swore silently before looking back at the others. They were all up and everyone except Garcia had a gun out. At Hotchs questioning look Morgan just nodded. He pointed at them, then through the door that led to the back of the house. Morgan went over to them and quickly whispered to the team who kept glancing towards the windows and doors. "Look, it'll be two teams, one from the front and one from the back. They might try to flush us out, which means we have to get away fast. Garcia, stay close to the others and don't let that flash drive out of your possession. If anything happens, break it."

As he said the last part Morgan looked at Garcia, his face filled with concern. Before anyone could say anything there was a soft bang from behind the door. Everyone couldn't help but glance towards the door but when no one came through, Morgan began pushing them towards the door.

"Wait Morgan, what are you planning on doing?"

"Just get them out of here Hotch. I'll be fine. I know how they think."

He looked back at them and saw they were all about to argue.

"I'll be right behind you, I promise."

He pushed them towards the door again and this time they moved, each of them casting him one last look. Ignoring them, Morgan ran to where he had been waiting for Reid and pulled a bag out from underneath the couch. Inside was a collection of flash grenades, spare ammo, a couple of maps and the tools he had used to break into Reid's house. He pulled out one of the flash grenades and waited beside the door the others had left by. Flinging the bag over his shoulder he held out the flash grenade, ready for whatever came through that door. Morgan let out a deep breath he had been holding. On the outside he looked calm and ready. On the inside his heart was pounding and his stomach was churning. It had been easier before when it was just him, but now the others were involved it made it so much more… real. The door flew open in front of him and all Morgan needed was a second as the two men who came moving into the room and took in what they saw. Morgan threw the flash grenade and moved out the door behind him in one quick movement. As it landed, a white light lit up the living room, stunning the men who came through the door. They threw their hands up in shock, trying to protect their eyes as they yelled out. Morgan hardly heard them. He was already out the door, checking each room as he went. It took a lot longer then what he wanted but he managed to get through almost the whole house without meeting anyone. A single gunshot isolated and close, followed by the sound of automatic weapons had Morgan moving faster than he ever had before. As he followed after the rest of the team, he found a single body, eyes wide open and slack hands no longer gripping their weapon.

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Hotch led the way as the team made their way through Reid's house. Prentiss was just a step behind him, with Garcia behind her and Reid, Rossi and JJ bringing up the rear and keeping an eye out behind them. They didn't want anyone to sneak up on them. They moved silently, Hotch signalling the others to stop, move or to listen. They all got a bit of a shock when one of the men ran past the window they were crouching under but lucky they weren't seen. They were just passing a spare bedroom when the door opened and a man dressed in SWAT gear, stepped out the door. JJ, who was closest, took one look at him and saw him start to raise his gun. She was quicker though and managed to bring her own gun up and shot him in the chest. The man fell over backwards, through the doorway and as he did, his finger, still tight on the trigger, let loose a wave of bullets. They tore through the ceiling and wall above them as everyone dove for cover. Once it stopped the team chanced a look up. Reid's hallway and bedroom was pretty much destroyed. Reid stared at it for a moment, completely shocked. Morgan would pay for it later he decided. Someone was pulling on his arm to get up. Looking up he saw it was Rossi. He quickly got to his feet, brushing off some of the dust that had settled in his hair and on his clothes.

"Everyone alright?" Hotch asks, the concern on his face evident.

They all nod, too shocked to speak.

He motioned for them to follow and they set off again, checking each room as they went. They had only just turned the corner when running footsteps were heard behind them. Instantly, they were up against the wall. Prentiss, who was at the back of the group, carefully looked around the corner. There was a man, looking into the room where the dead man had been. Prentiss couldn't see his face but she took a step forward, her gun aimed at him. She took a step forward, keeping her eyes on the man. She kept her breathing shallow, making slow movements, not wanting him to hear her. Just then her foot landed on a piece of plaster from the roof, cracking it. The noise seemed ten times louder to her as the man turned, bringing his gun up. Her fingers on the trigger, she waited that second longer, just long enough to see his face.

"Shit Emily. You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I gave you a heart attack? Well that's a first!"

"Is everyone alright?" Morgan asked, making his way over to her.

She nodded and started walking back to the others. "Yeah everyone's fine. A little stunned but we're good."

Morgan just nodded as they rounded the corner. The rest of the team had their guns raised, causing Morgan and Prentiss to stop short.

"Whoa. Hi guys, mind lowering the guns so we can get out of here?"

Hotchner just shook his head as he approached Morgan.

"We need to leave now. Which way do you think would be best?"

Morgan looked up and down the hall. He shook his head slightly.

"To be honest, I don't know. They changed tactics with that guy back there."

He ran a hand over his face. He looked down the hallway the team had been heading down.

"I think the best way to go would be out back and through the bushes. The only problem is it's a bit of a run across open space to get there. We're going to need to cover each other and run in pairs."

They all heard footsteps coming this way, so with a quick nod from everyone, Hotch and Rossi started off again. The rest of the team followed, everyone's hearts pounding as they moved.

Reaching outside took longer than anyone wanted. One at a time they slipped out the door, each expecting a bullet to come tearing through the air. When they were all out and leaning against the house, they took a moment to breathe.

"Where are they all? Something's off here." Morgan said, his face creased with frown lines.

"What's wrong?" Reid asked, concerned.

The rest of the team glanced around, already on edge.

"I'm not sure."

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He watched as they made their way out the back door. He couldn't help but grin. They made it so easy sometimes. He adjusted his position slightly, lining up his first shot. His hand went to the radio in his ear.

"Boss, I have them in my sights. Twenty seconds and they're all dead. Can I take them?"

"_Wait for my word before you go shooting willy nilly. But don't worry; you'll get to shoot at least one of them."_

He could hear the smile in his boss's voice and couldn't help but smile himself.

"Yes sir."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter!!! Please read and review**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal minds or any of their characters**

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The feeling of unease had grown even more as Morgan and the others made their way around the back of the house. With guns out and eyes wide open, they had each others backs. But was that enough? It was all they had but even so Morgan had an unsettling feeling it wouldn't be anywhere enough. Something was wrong. The way they were moving through Reid's house, the fact there were no men on the perimeter. It was too easy and the more Morgan thought about it, the more he realised what it was. A trap. And he had led them right into it. He knew that any moment all hell would break loose and then what? What could they do then? It wasn't supposed to be like this. But what did he expect really? They had screwed him over and he had screwed his team over. He was the reason they were now crouching behind Reid's house hoping not to get shot. There was a lot of movement inside the house and Morgan knew they were running out of time. They would have to chance it. He didn't see any other way.

_Surrender._

It was a word he hadn't even thought about until now, but now that his friends and family were involved… Well it changed things. He couldn't let them get hurt. He looked at each of them and saw the questions in their eyes. He had no answers though, not yet. He turned his back on them and took a step forward, glancing around the corner of Reid's house. It was clear. It wasn't much of a break but Morgan was willing to take anything he could.

He turned back to the others and nodded, indicating for them to follow. He had barely gone five steps when a bullet whizzed past him, hitting the dirt hard. He froze before instinct kicked in and he pushed the others behind him as best he could. It wasn't fast enough though as another bullet went whizzing past him. What happened next would haunt him for the rest of his life, he knew that. The sound of the bullet hitting flesh was followed by a small gasp of surprise, the only sound she made before she dropped her gun and clutched at her stomach. He had failed.

It shouldn't be this hard to breath. It should've been easy. Why was it that she couldn't even seem to do that simple, yet necessary thing? A bullet. A small piece of heated metal had hit her. And now she couldn't focus, couldn't breathe. Everything was swirling, going numb then coming back full force. The pain. It wouldn't stop. It seemed to radiate outwards from where she had been hit, igniting every sense till breaking point. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and go to sleep. It would be so easy. All she had to do was let go, let the pain go.

Her legs collapsed out from under her as she looked up in shock at what was happening. Her eyes locked onto Morgan's. She stared at him, trying to understand what was going on. His eyes didn't move from hers as he ran towards her. His eyes. She couldn't look away. There was something different about them. Something she hadn't seen before. It was mixed with the countless other emotions that seemed to be swimming in their depth. They were drowned out by that one thing she didn't expect to see. It was an answer. He knew what was happening, she realised. He didn't want to, but he did. She blinked, tearing her eyes away from his in confusion. Trying to figure it out, she blocked everything else out. The voices calling her name, the pain, the cold wind that was just starting to have some real power behind it. Instead she let her eyes wander over the trees. She watched as the leaves moved with the wind, a soft dance that had her mesmerised.

The pain moved from an intense fire to a dull throb, only to be enhanced when the hand that was pressing down on her stomach moved slightly, trying to stop the sluggish flow of blood. Letting the feeling fall to the back of her mind again, she continued to watch the trees. It was then she noticed it. Sitting in the tree, watching them all, ready to do some more damage. She couldn't help but gasp. She needed to tell them. She had to warn them. She soon found that was easier said than done.

Her breathing was coming in short, ragged gasps as she tried to find a way to get her warning across. She tore her eyes away from the tree and looked up at Rossi. His hands were covered in blood as he tried to stop the bleeding. He looked distraught, as he glanced from her stomach to something she couldn't quite see. She tried to follow his gaze only to find her view blocked by Reid's back. It was then she noticed the tension in Reid's back, the way he seemed to be shouting. At who, she couldn't see but she knew he was upset. She let eyes fall on Rossi's face again and noticed the tension running through his eyes and mouth. His jaw was clenched tight and he seemed to be shaking. Not out of pain but anger. She frowned up at him, wanting to draw his attention to her. A sense of determination, unlike anything she had every felt before rose up inside her. With an enormous amount of effort she managed to cough lightly. It wasn't much but it was enough. Alarmed, Rossi turned his face to her, his eyes lighting up with relief at the sight of her focusing on him. He opened his mouth and even though she knew words came out of his mouth she couldn't seem to hear him. He seemed to understand that what he was saying wasn't getting through and a flash of panic ran over his face. He began repeating her name. She watched as the sounds formed on his lips but nothing met her ears. It was unsettling and for a moment all she could do was watch. He was worried; she could see it all over his face. Rossi turned slightly, yelling at someone else. She had to tell him!

"Rossi…" She managed to choke out.

It got his attention immediately. He turned back and gave her an encouraging smile. It was enough to get her to continue. Through the pain that had her gritting her teeth and the fear that was gripping her heart she managed to get her warning out.

"Trees…Sniper…Fence"

Rossi's head shot up at her warning. She watched him as he scanned each tree, his eyes finally resting on the right one. His eyes widened upon seeing the man hiding in the trees. His head turned to face the others and as she watched, she saw him mouth the words that would help keep them all safe. A warning against the horrible danger that they all faced.

Sound came flooding back to her as she lay on the ground. It was like someone had turned the volume back on full force. She gasped at the shock of it. There was too much noise for her to make sense of it all. Someone was yelling and as she focused on the anger in the voice she realised it was Morgan.

"-didn't have to do that! They aren't a part of this, you son of a bitch!"

She had never heard Morgan that upset before. The anger and pain seemed to be entwined with his every word as he continued his shouting match with the unseen competitor. She heard him though. His voice was calm and cold, the complete opposite of Morgan's. At first she couldn't understand how his voice seemed to carry so far, but after a moment the realisation that he had a megaphone hit her.

The man scoffed, the sound echoing around the surrounded group.

"They are a part of this Derek. You made them a part of it when you went to them for help. No, even before that. When you got emotionally involved and started trusting them. You know in our business you can't trust anyone, you can't let anyone in. Mistakes like that will get you killed. Or the people you care about. You have a choice now Derek. Either give us what we want, or watch as one by one, your friends are picked off. And believe me when I say I will make them suffer. You have one minute to decide. Think quickly."

There was an unnerving silence. Everyone's eyes fell on Morgan, even hers. He didn't move for a second, but stared at the ground, the gun in his hand tapping a rhythmic beat against his thigh. He turned his head slightly and she could make out the guilt, clearly plastered over his face. He seemed to feel her eyes on him because he lifted his head and met her gaze with eyes filled with a feeling of responsibility and pain. Without another word he took a step forward and dropped his gun to the ground. Staring straight ahead, he placed his hands on his head and walked towards something she couldn't see. The cries from their team mates met her ears as they looked on in shock. It was something they thought they would never see: Derek Morgan was giving up.

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**A/N: Mwahahahaha!!! Am I evil or what??? Sorry about the double cliff hanger. I couldn't resist XD so who got shot? And what's going to happen next? Send me your thoughts! I'd love to hear them**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: HEY! Look a brand spankin new chapter! And it's a looooong one!!! Can't you just smell the... Yummyness???? Anyway sorry it's taken me a while to post it.. Although it is quicker than some of my other posts.... *cough cough* awkward...**

**Oh! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed. They make me very happy XD There like cookies... except you can't eat them...**

**ENJOY!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Criminal Minds... One day though!!!**

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It was like he was stuck in slow motion as he turned, his heart thumping hard and fast against his chest, leaving a bruise that couldn't be seen. All rational thoughts left him as he saw the dark red stain on her once white blouse. The bullet had hit her in the dead centre of her stomach. It wasn't meant to be a fast or painless death, Morgan realised. They wanted her to bleed out. Rossi was trying to hold her up while putting pressure on her wound as her legs began to give out. Morgan looked straight into her eyes as he ran towards her. He landed hard on his knees beside her and pressed down hard on her stomach, allowing Rossi to lower her gently to the ground. He couldn't bear to look away as her eyes found his. He knew the rest of the team would have their backs but Morgan knew it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. The blood that covered his hands here and now proved that. Morgan had to look away as the shock and pain on her face tore at his heart and mind.

Every part of him was screaming. This couldn't be happening, not now. They were so close! But he knew it was and nothing he did now was going to change it. He couldn't keep his team safe this way. Morgan felt the guilt build up inside of him as he watched her tear her eyes away from his. She seemed almost lost as she stared at something he couldn't see.

Someone called his name and Morgan turned, instantly thankful for something else to look at, to think about. However the feeling wouldn't go away. Her pain wouldn't go away. She needed a hospital and they were stuck in a war zone. A sense of calm fell over him as he realised what he had to do. Knowing the rest of the team would try to talk him out of it, he turned to Rossi.

"Can you keep the pressure there? I need to… I need to be with the others."

Rossi almost said he was needed here but the pleading look on the younger mans face stopped him. Instead, he simply nodded and moved his hands to cover the bullet wound. JJ gasped as he did but that was the only reaction he got before her attention was gone again. The dread in his heart seemed to grow even more as her eyes stared dreamily at the trees. He needed to know she was still with them.

"JJ, can you hear me? I need to know how you're doing. JJ?"

When she didn't give him any indication she had heard him he turned away, a heavy sigh falling out of him as he did. He hoped against hope that he could find out what was happening. Reid was standing with his back to him and Rossi instantly knew something was wrong.

Leaving Rossi with JJ, Morgan had run straight to Garcia. She was crouched down next to Hotchner who was using an old compost heap as cover. It wasn't much but it was the best he could do, given the circumstances. Hotchner shot a look behind him when he heard Morgan approach. After seeing no danger he let his eyes rest on each member of his team, ensuring they were safe and had enough cover. He left JJ and Rossi for last. Concern graced his face as he saw Rossi's hands covered in blood and JJ's weak breathing. From where he stood it didn't look good. She needed help and the only way to get that was to get the hell out of here. He was surprised that none of the neighbours had come out to investigate what was going on. He glanced at one of the windows and scoffed when he noticed a neighbourhood watch sticker. Well, they're doing a fine job he thought angrily. Why hadn't any of them called the police or came out to gawk? It wasn't like humans to be this oblivious. At every crime scene he had been to there had been people standing at the yellow tape, trying to see what horrendous crime had been committed. He always felt a little disgusted when he saw them. It wasn't a circus show they had come to see. It was a human life, torn up in the worse way possible. Hotchner tore his eyes from the sticker that seemed to mock him and turned towards Morgan.

"Where do you think all the neighbours are? This isn't something they would ignore."

Morgan glanced up and shook his head.

"If they're lucky they won't be home."

Hotchner frowned. Morgan couldn't mean they killed them all… Could he?

It was as if Morgan read his mind because Morgan shook his head before sighing and glancing around the corner before kneeling beside Garcia.

"They don't kill them but they will intercept any and all phone calls. And if anyone tries to come outside they're usually shown some less than pleasant hospitality."

He looked up at Hotchner and met his eyes, a weariness in them that told of the horrors he had seen.

"When your family is threatened you know not to do anything stupid. What would you do if someone had a gun on Jacks head?"

He was being harsh but right now it was the best thing for them all. Morgan watched as Hotchner's expression turned dark. Without waiting for a reply Morgan turned to Garcia.

"Have you copied all the files from the flash drive onto your laptop?"

Garcia looked up and shook her head.

"I had only just started going through the files when they arrived but I can have it done in thirty seconds if you want."

Morgan nodded and she was away, her fingers clicking away on the keyboard. Morgan gave her a fond smile before turning to Hotchner. The smile fell from his face when he saw the frown on Hotchner's face.

"What?" he asked in a defensive tone.

It was then that Hotch knew his suspicions were correct. Morgan was going to do something stupid.

"Do you remember what I said to you after that case in New York and you drove off in the ambulance and almost got yourself killed?"

Morgan's gaze dropped to the ground. He knew what Hotch was going to say but right now he didn't want to hear it. This was his mess and he had just ended up spreading it all over the place. They didn't need to worry about it right now. He silently cursed himself for even going to Reid's house. He should have just left the flash drive there with a note and then got the hell out of dodge.

"Morgan, you have to learn how to trust us. We're all here for you and you need to understand that no matter what, we'll be willing to help."

Morgan gave a soft sigh before he looked back up at Hotch.

"You weren't so willing to help when you thought I had killed all those people." He saw the guilt that passed over his face and felt his own guilt building. They're only trying to help, he told himself. Ignoring it, he continued. "I do trust you guys Hotch, I honestly do. But I can't stand by and let you all put your lives on the line for a stupid mistake I made, especially when I can stop it all."

Garcia wordlessly tapped Morgan on the shoulder and before Hotch could reply he had turned his back on him and was talking to Garcia. With an exasperated sigh, Hotch turned away to check how the others were going. His eyes widened upon seeing what they were up against. The team was literally surrounded. The same men who had followed them through the house were now standing guard around the garden, some lying on the ground, their rifles positioned for if one of them made a break for it.

Pulling back, Hotchner turned to Morgan, ready to convince him not to move. However Reid's voice stopped him before he had even drawn a breath.

"There's a limo pulling up and a man in a suit is getting out. Two of the armed men are going to talk to him."

Morgan swore beside him and Hotch was shocked to see a flash of fear on his face. Without another word Morgan took the flash drive from Garcia and shoved it into his pocket. He stood up with his gun out and began to move past Hotch to get a good look. Hotch was ready to pull him back when Rossi's voice made them all freeze.

"There's a sniper! He's in the oak tree by the fence. He's the one who shot JJ."

There was anger in his voice as he yelled the warning, anger that was felt by everyone in the team. Morgan turned and shot Hotch a pointed look. He knew what Morgan was trying to say but he just wouldn't accept it. Shaking his head he grabbed Morgan's wrist and pulled him back down. Morgan glared at him angrily and yanked his arm out of his grip.

"Hotch, listen to me! He's going to pick us off one by one if we stay here. I am not going to let that happen. If I give myself and the flash drive up, I know I can convince him to leave you guys alone. You can make a break for it and get JJ the help she needs. I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt because of this!"

Morgan was yelling towards the end and Hotch was shocked to see the desperation on his face. Neither man moved, each waiting for the other to break the silence. Neither could look away, but each of them had their own reasons. It wasn't about strength or who was in charge, it was about trust. That one aspect their team was always working on, trying to make it stronger.

Garcia sat quietly next to Hotch and Morgan, unable to take her eyes off them. The tension between the two of them seemed to quieten everything around them. The constant radio calls between their would-be-captors were now silent. She didn't want Morgan to do this but she knew that no matter what she said he would still want to do this. It was that stubbornness in him that made him who he was. The fact he was willing to put others before him, no matter what. Sometimes it scared her past the point where she was angry with him. This was definitely one of those times. If she could she would grab him in a hug and never let him go.

Rossi, Prentiss and Reid were all staring at the two as they figured out what Morgan was planning on doing. Garcia moved her eyes slowly from the two men beside her back to JJ. A small half sob that Garcia covered with her hand was the only sound she made as she felt her eyes widen with shock at the amount of blood staining the ground around her friend. Garcia had seen a lot of horrible things in her life time, going back to when her parents died, but seeing this now and not being able to do anything about it, tore her up inside. She knew why Morgan wanted to do this. It didn't make it any easier to see happen though.

Just then, a voice seemed to come out of nowhere, startling everyone in the team. It was one that chilled them to the bone. No feeling, no concern for anyone but themselves. It made everyone pause shocked at the way the voice seemed so uncaring, yet so demanding an in control. Morgan's face turned dark as he realised who it was. Hotch only got a quick look before Morgan cast his head down, his hands tightening into fists. His fingernails were going to leave marks once he relaxed, yet Hotch didn't see that happening for a long time.

"That son of a bitch" Morgan mumbled before turning away from Hotch.

"We know you're there Derek. We know you have the flash drive. I want you to walk out towards me right now, unarmed with the flash drive or I start putting a few more holes in your friends. Would you like that Derek? Maybe it would teach you not to get attached."

At that Morgan stood up, barely controlled anger running through his body as he gripped his gun tightly. He turned and faced his former boss. Although there was at least ten metres separating them, Morgan knew instantly where the man he hated more than anyone in the world was standing. As he looked out at him, he promised himself to get rid of him, no matter what happened to him. Too many people had been hurt because of Daniel.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Daniel?" Morgan yelled, his voice carrying across the yard and onto the road. "Haven't you messed with me enough? Setting me up was a nice trick, but what I don't get is why you blew the place up. An explosion like that draws a lot more attention than the cover story Marshall told me about."

The rest of the team sat in silence, shooting each other confused looks. Although Morgan had given them the short version of what had happened, he hadn't mentioned any of this.

He had spoken of trust just moments ago, thought Hotch angrily. Why doesn't he trust with the whole truth? Why can't I seem to trust him now? The confusion and anger that consumed Hotch's mind was pushed to the side as Daniel spoke up again.

"We didn't blow that place up Morgan, someone else did. For a while we actually thought you organised it, that you had realised what was happening and set it up as a last resort kind of deal. But it wasn't you was it? Or are you that good of an actor? You remember that 'talk' we had when you told me you wanted out?"

The entire team turned their eyes towards Morgan, shocked by this news. He didn't notice though. He was focused on Daniel and nothing was going to draw his attention away now.

"I honestly thought you wanted out, that you had just had enough which, looking at your file is understandable. However, later that day I had a most interesting phone call. You thought you had it all planned out didn't you? You were going to show Agent Hotchner everything. The flash drive, the files, and every piece of information you had collected while you worked for us. I bet it was a shock to you when you learnt that the storage containers you kept everything in had been robbed. I mean, you must have known who stole everything, right? But you didn't say anything. Why is that? Did you think we would shoot you?"

His final question was laced with a condescending tone. Morgan had been so focused on Daniel; he hadn't even noticed how tight his fists were clenched. He lowered his eyes to his hands, the pain finally registering in his mind. Daniel however took this as a sign of defeat. With a bark of laughter, he spoke up again, each word cutting Morgan like a knife.

"Look at you now Morgan. Did you honestly think you could protect them? That you could protect anyone? I could take care of your so called 'team' right now and then maybe you would realise that they only distract you. You don't need them!"

"Is that what you're trying to teach me? That I'm better off alone? You shot one of my closets' friends! You didn't have to do that! They aren't a part of this, you son of a bitch!"

No one moved after Morgan's outburst. Although the team knew that Morgan had trouble controlling his emotions, this was a side of him they had never seen. While yelling, he had started walking closer to Daniel, his gun raised and everybody there knew where it was pointed.

"They are a part of this Derek. You made them a part of it when you went to them for help. No, even before that. When you got emotionally involved and started trusting them. You know in our business you can't trust anyone, you can't let anyone in. Mistakes like that will get you killed. Or the people you care about. You have a choice now Derek. Either give us what we want, or watch as one by one, your friends are picked off. And believe me when I say I will make them suffer. You have one minute to decide. Think quickly."

Morgan didn't move as he realised this was it. What he did next could result in the deaths of his team and most likely anyone who he had ever cared about. A part of him wanted to defy Daniel, to tell him to shove it but he knew he could never put anyone in that kind of danger. He let his gun drop and tapped it restlessly against his leg. His eyes bore into the ground, a light frown graced his face. A light pounding had started in his head, adding to the other pain he felt radiating from his body. It brought his thoughts back to JJ, who was still lying on the ground, bleeding to death. He lifted his head to look at her and was shocked when he saw her eyes focus on his. The pain on her face was all he needed to see. Turning his head back to face Daniel, he dropped his gun and stepped forward. He heard the others call out to him. He ignored them though as he watched two of Daniels men move silently towards him.

_Surrender._

It was a strange concept.

* * *

**A/N: Tehehehe so now you know who got shot. And the name of evil man. And that Morgan was going to come clean to his team... I'm evil like that aren't I? Just giving you enough so you want more. I sound like a drug dealer.... :O DRUGS ARE BAD KIDDIES!!!**

**Please review!!! XD**


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